Title: The May 8, 1945 Massacre and the War of National Liberation in Folk Poetry: Al-Hashimi Qasimi as a Case Study (1927–2011)

Abstract

Folk poetry contains a substantial reservoir of rich information and historical evidence, which endows it with added epistemic value and renders it a fertile source that can be utilized and relied upon in the writing and documentation of local history. As an unofficial historical source, it reflects popular perceptions of historical events and documents their details from a local perspective rooted in the social milieu. From this standpoint, the present study seeks to highlight the historical value of folk poetry through an analytical reading of selected poems by the folk poet Al-Hashimi Qasimi, which address the events of the May 8, 1945 massacre in Amoucha, Setif Province, as well as certain stages of the Algerian War of Liberation in Khalil, Bordj Bou Arreridj Province.